Where we stand

In addition to the founding documents that define our goals as an association, our values and our operational themes, we have been producing “position papers” since 2012. These set out GERES positioning or stance on general topics linked with current events and our development work.

Based on collective reflection that draws on field experience and feedback, ongoing research and trials aimed at developing large-scale solutions, position papers are written whenever GERES sees the need to make its position clear on any given theme.

he development of decentralised solar hybrid power stations offers new opportunities to improve rural access to electricity. If the benefits of solar are harnessed, the terms of access and quality of electricity supply can almost match national grids: 24-hour availability with high power handling capability. This is where rural micro-businesses – productive customers – come in.

We call for smallholder family farmers to be placed at the heart of the UNFCCC discussions on farming. Based on the IPCC’s latest report, we also believe that those discussions should deal with food security, as well, especially so as to address the challenges that climate imbalances pose for the right to food.

In March this year the French Minister of Agriculture presented the ‘4 per 1000’ initiative at the Climate-Smart Agriculture conference in Montpellier. A brochure2 published by the ministry presents an initiative that puts agriculture at the heart of climate issues, not only as the sector most affected by climate change and as a producer of greenhouse gasses, but also as a solution in terms of mitigation. It also set the ‘4 per 1000’ initiative within the Agenda of Solutions3 promoted by the French and Peruvian presidencies of the COP20 and 21 and the Secretary General of the United Nations, despite the uncertainties surrounding it at this stage.

Carbon pricing is likely to be one of the ingredients of the climate agreement negotiated during COP21. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol launched the festivities via an international CO2 emission allowance trading system. It gave rise to an international carbon price which serves as a reference today. Yet carbon has several prices and limiting a ton of CO2 simply to a price defined by a market means that its social value is overlooked.

The Climate and Development Committee of Coordination SUD (French NGO platform) has released a new factsheet: “Climate bonds, a new financial eldorado?”. This factsheet has been coordinated by GERES. The contributors are: ACF, CARE-France, CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Gret, Oxfam, Secours Catholique.

The Climate and Development Committee of Coordination SUD (French NGO platform) has released a new factsheet: “Combination of early warning system and climate information is key to ensure long-term resilience”. This factsheet has been coordinated by Care France. The contributors are: ACF, AVSF, CARE-France, Croix-Rouge française and GERES.

The SDG discussions have recognised that access to sustainable energy is crucial for many areas of development as well as for addressing climate change. Billions of people worldwide still do not have the energy services they need to lift them out of poverty and build sustainable development. Proposed SDG 7 aims to close this energy gap and “ensure access to affordable, sustainable, reliable, and modern energy services for all”, with targets on universal access to energy, increasing the share of renewables in the global energy mix and doubling the annual rate of improvement in energy intensity.

While we in the West are trying to find ways to reduce consumption, more than 1 billion people in developing countries have no access to energy. Communicating vessels may not be a principle that always hold true but perhaps Climate Solidarity is.

Since 2009, the FAO has defined Climate-Smart Agriculture as agriculture that “sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes GHGs (mitigation), and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals”. It should be noted that the way in which these three pillars relate to one another remains vague.

Access to affordable and reliable energy services is crucial to the success of the post-2015 development framework. Shifting to more sustainable and efficient energy systems globally is also crucial for tackling climate change – the most serious threat to future poverty eradication.

On the 19th of October 2012, Groupe Initiatives, a collective of international professional cooperation and development aid associations, organized a study day to discuss “Carbon finance as a means of access to energy for the poor”. The proceedings of this study day are now available in both English and French!

Once the engineers have done their job – by designing affordable devices and equipment that can provide life-changing benefits to the poorest families – it is then up to the “marketers” to do theirs, by organising distribution networks and establishing appropriate marketing strategies.

Opinion article of the Climate and Development Committe of Coordination SUD – March 2014. Do climate events really have to catch up with us before we finally become aware of the scale of the threats we face and the urgent need for action? That’s the fear of the NGO members of the Climate and Development Committee of Coordination Sud which has called, in its opinion column “Climate change, a challenge for our century”, for extensive citizen mobilization to spur the world powers into making a strong political commitment. France must demonstrate leadership by encouraging the European Union to adopt a much more ambitious energy and climate policy. GERES is leading the Climate and Development Committee until 2015 and calling for this mobilization.